by Amy Brent
He loved the game, loved the way the ball flew when it made direct contact with the bat. It had been a part of his growing up, and the one thing he shared with his dad before he left. It had been the biggest part of his life and over time he had made it. Right into the majors. Something he was proud of, and worked hard at. His life in Bayberry had quietly taken a back seat to the other world he had created out in New York.
He loved the flash of lights in the big city and the people there, but every now and again he would come home and visit his mother, who refused to leave this place, and to remind himself of his roots. This visit, however, was tinged with something else, and he still had yet to work it out. With a shake of his head he set off for his car, knowingly carrying a box of the donuts his mother loved. He would take his time driving down the dusty road out to the ranch and he would settle in there for a few weeks at least until training started up.
Nothing had changed really, the tall oak by the main road had fallen, probably from a storm of some kind and there were a few more houses that were scattered along the way that hadn’t been there before but aside from that, life was its usual out here. He heard the ringing of his phone and glanced at the caller id on the dashboard, feeling his insides turn, before hitting the ignore button. The red heat of anger curled up inside him and he felt his knuckles turn white as he gripped the wheel. No matter what anyone said the guy had I coming, and even the police had said so.
He swung the car into the spot where he always parked and made his way inside. The house smelled just like it always had, sugar and coffee, and he smiled as he enveloped his mother in a hug.
“Hello mom, I told you I’d be here today.” He kissed the top of her head, a full two foot shorter than his own. She gave him a smile as she walked carefully back to her chair.
He frowned as he watched her, at 88, she was no longer the young, carefree woman that should be running a ranch. He knew that she had help, however, he had hired a few men to run the horses and keep things running smoothly. He had also remotely hired a nurse to sit with her and take care of things at home, and a cook, who shared a wing of the ranch with the live in nurse. Even still, he felt guilt deep down every time he went back home.
“Raymond, you are so skinny, you need to eat.” She exclaimed as she made her way inside the house, she gently patted his stomach.
“I’m fine mom, you say that every time.” He helped her into a chair and took a look around the room.
Everything was neat and tidy, clean and sterile and he felt himself relax, just slightly. She was being taken care of, and it made him feel better knowing it. He heard some commotion in the kitchen and glanced that way. He found himself face to face with a bubbly woman red faced and smiling. In her 40’s she had sprigs of red and gray hair and she welcomed him with a smile.
“You must be Raymond. Hello, I am Jeannie, I cook for your mother, and whoever may come by.” She gave his mother a wink, that he didn’t miss. She held out her hand to him, which he took and marveled at the grip she gave him.
“It’s just Ray, and it’s nice to finally meet you.” He relaxed as she rambled on about food for dinner and a light lunch, which she asked his mother to approve of.
After she left, he turned to face his mother once more. : You certainly seem to have things running smoothly mother.” He gave her a half grin.
“Yes, I rather enjoy having a lot of the bulk handled for me, thanks to my son that is.” She grinned as a buzzing sound went off beside her. “Oh, it's time for Lila, she will be down in a few seconds. She is such a sweet girl I think you will like her.”
Before she could get the last word out, he heard the soft sounds of humming as she came into the room. He felt something hit him in the stomach when she finally looked up at him. She was curvy, full and filling in her outfit. It suited her, all of those curves. Her hair was long and fell in waves around her. Her caramel skin almost glowing in the light. Her eyes were what struck him at last. They were brown with a hint of blue in them, and were set in her face, complete with a set of full lips and a dimpled cheek.
He watched her blink rapidly at him for a second, her eyes covered in a fringe of dark lashes that complimented her skin. She turned then, her focus on his mother.
“Ok Miss Margie, it's time for your favorite.” She gave her a sour look and then moved around the cabinet in the far corner to get her meds together. She never turned around to look back at him, which he found unnerving.
He did his best to seem unaffected as he let his eyes travel the rest of her, his focus on the uplifted derriere that was facing him now. He realized his mother as talking to him, and he shook his head to snap out of it.
“……. top of her class.” His mother gave him a smile.
Lila turned then, her eyes flitting over him for a mere second before she carried the tray over to his mother.
“You are always too sweet to me, Miss Margie.” She set the tray down and waited as the older woman took the medication with a sour look.
“I know, like I said not the favorite.” She glanced over at him once more, giving him her full attention.
“I’m Lila, it’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to him, which he took. He felt the softness of her skin in his and he subconsciously let his thumb run across the bridge of her hand before he let it go. His eyes met hers, and he felt a shift there.
“Well, mom, I’m going to go get settled in and come back for lunch, since Miss Jeannie is working on such an impressionable spread.” He glanced over at Lila. “I will see you there.”
He didn’t wait for a response, simply letting her know what he expected of her before he turned to head down the other wing of the house to his old rooms. He wanted her, it was as simple as that. He wasn’t even sure why really. She was beautiful, almost exotic, which he found fascinating. She was certainly nothing like Angie…. He felt the familiar anger well up in him, but he tried to let it go and not let it ruin his day. He thought once more about Lila, he wanted her in his bed, and he would have her, he simply needed to find a way to convince her that’s where she belonged.
Lila
“Arrogant...son of a.” She whispered it under her breath knowingly. Someone, somewhere had told Ray Markley that he could have whatever he wanted and when. “I’ll see you there.” She said it mockingly.
He would certainly be surprised when she wasn’t. She always ate lunch with the ladies of the house, but not today, not when he had ordered her to be there. There was something about him that reek dangerous anyway, it would probably be best if she avoided him at all costs, until he went back to his own home.
She knew he was some big time basketball player or something. Apparently, it had all gone to his head at some point. She folded the blankets by the door once more, jerking it as she went. She loved Miss Margie, and she loved this job. It had come at a perfect time in her life, and she would always be grateful to Miss Margie for giving her a chance. At 23 she had already lived a full life.
She sat down on the bed reflecting. Her father was a prestigious official in Washington DC, and her mother had been in love with him for years. Unfortunately, she had settled for being the woman waiting in the wings for him for years. He had convinced her for years that he would leave his wife, but sadly, he never had. Her mother had fallen ill and died of cancer four years ago, and only once had she even met the man. He had come to visit her mother in the hospital and her mother told her then that he was her father.
She hated him for never making the choice to pick them, hated him for never being around. Now, all she felt was indifference. Sure, he had cried and held her mothers’ hand, but ultimately he had gone back home, leaving her wondering about the life they could have had. She would look him up from time to time, and see the faces of her two half-brothers that never even knew she existed. She was essentially alone in the world, except for Andre, and that was a mess as usual.
He was a musician, and beautifully talented. She loved him, or at least she thought so. He al
ways seemed to be busy these days, never having time for her. But then that’s what you had to do to make it big in the music business. Not to mention he often commented on how her dieting was going, trying to motivate her to do more and to get healthier. She knew her weight was an issue for him, especially when he always had women falling all over him. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working, at least not quickly anyway. They had plans to meet tomorrow, and she couldn’t wait to hear all about the new developments on his album. She just had to be careful to not make him angry.
It wasn’t that he wanted to hurt her, in fact he hated himself anytime anything happened between them. Nothing had happened yet, but he would get so angry and from time to time she would get a little scared of him. He never touched her, but he had thrown a thing or two to get his point across. He was obviously under a lot of stress with his career. All she could do was be supportive and do her best to try to help him. She made her way out of the rooms and down the long hall to the garden to walk, she loved it there more than any other place on the ranch.
The weather was beautiful this time of year and she loved being able to enjoy it. She settled into a lounge chair, face upturned as she let her eyes close to enjoy the cool breeze that flowed over her skin. Taking deep breaths, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. It could have been an hour, or even two before she realized she had fallen asleep. She heard the crunch of gravel and knew now that someone had woken her. She sat up with a start and found herself face to face with him.
“You have a habit of napping in the garden?” He let his gaze linger, looking her over.
“No.” She said with an edge, jumping to her feet as she did. “I suppose I was just relaxed that’s all.” She crossed her arms waiting. She couldn’t leave the area until he moved out of her way, which by looking at his face he was well aware of.
He smiled at her as he leaned on the twisted oak. “You missed lunch.” He said it simply and she met his gaze.
“I wasn’t hungry.” She lifted her chin another notch. He chuckled.
“Well, perhaps I will see you at dinner then?” He waited for her to answer.
“Perhaps.” She knew it was weak at best, but it was almost like saying no.
He smiled at her once more, then sat down on the bench near the entrance. “So, how is mom doing, really?”
She felt his tone turn serious, and she relaxed. She couldn’t handle the charming side of him it unnerved her. But this… this she could do. She sat beside him.
“She’s actually doing much better than before. Her white count is lower and her blood pressure under control. She goes in to see Dr. Baker every few weeks, and he helps me keep her on track. She can be…. Well...”
“Combative?” He finished for her. “Yes, I know.”
“I think she just gets tired of life keeping her from doing what she wants.” She said it simply enough.
She felt his gaze on her face once more. “What about you Lila?”
She swallowed hard. “What do you mean? What about me?”
He leaned back on the bench, breaking his gaze on her. “Well, tell me about you. I let the agency find a few people, but my mother ultimately made the decision on who she wanted to have here. I never get to have an opinion, so this is my chance to get to know everyone.”
She sighed. “Well, I am a nurse; I grew up in Covington. I love your mother, and I love this ranch.” She shrugged. “Not much else to tell.”
“What about family?” He leaned up once more, this time closer to her. “Parents, siblings… boyfriend?”
She felt the heat creep in unexpectedly. He wasn’t touching her, but she felt the heat off of him like he was branding her skin. “No, no family. I do have a boyfriend.”
He focused his gaze on her mouth and she parted her lips subconsciously. He moved his eyes up then, until his eyes locked with hers. “You are a beautiful woman, Lila, so that doesn’t surprise me.” He almost whispered it to her.
She blushed, something she rarely did. He had an intoxicating effect on her. She averted her eyes, looking down at the ground.
“Thank You.” She gritted the words out.
The spell broken, he looked around them once more. “This garden has always been a part of this house. Did you know the gardens were designed first, and the house built around it?”
She shook her head.
“It’s true, my great great grandmother loved flowers more than anything in the world and my great great grandfather had them all planted so that when he brought her out here, to show her the land she would see her living bouquet. They planned the house around this.” He gestured to the massive expanse of foliage. “Of course it’s grown since then, but still, it’s the heart of the ranch.”
She smiled. “That’s beautiful.” She looked at him smiling, she watched his face shift once more.
“I want to kiss you Lila, boyfriend or not. I have a habit of just saying what I want, and I usually get it. With you there is a challenge in you, but I’m going to kiss you nonetheless.”
Before she could say anything she felt his hand on her back, pulling her into him, his mouth crushing hers in a kiss. She had no time to react, or to tell him no. Instead he just took what he wanted which seemed to be his way about most things. He raked his lips over hers, he slipped his tongue in, to taste of her honeyed sweetness and she felt the heat rolling up her body like a flash wave. She had no control as she kissed him back, giving him as much as he gave her. She felt him let her go and he stood then, moving back from her.
“You are quite a mystery Lila, and that was one hell of a kiss.” He turned on a heel, whistling as he left, sauntering down the path leading back to the main house.
She wasn’t sure if she was pleasantly surprised, or furious. Eventually anger won and she swore softly under her breath. Who does something like that? Just kisses someone? She stood then, smoothing down her dress and made her way into the other wing of the house, careful to avoid Ray at all costs. The biggest problem was she wasn’t sure who she was mad at more. Him for kissing her or herself for liking it.
Ray
“I don’t understand why I am being suspended for three games. The asshole had it coming.” He knew getting angry wouldn’t help his case, but he didn’t care.
“Ray, finding a guy in bed with your girlfriend is hardly a reason to beat the guy into the emergency room. You have to get a handle on the anger man.” His agent, Carter managed to get out.
“It had nothing to do with that, and she isn’t my girlfriend anyway… you know what fine. How much of it is leaking to the press, can you tell me that much?”
“None as far as I can tell. This guy wants to sue, but his lawyer is advising against it. I doubt it will get very far Ray, just take the time off and stay with your mom a bit until it blows over… but I meant what I said about the anger man, I tell you this as a friend.”
He tossed his phone on the counter top and with a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair. The whole situation was bigger than just some woman, but he didn’t feel like going into it, not with him anyway. He had already been there a week and although he knew his mother would like him being there, and the time spent but he knew himself. If he stayed too long he would have Lila in his bed in no time, and she would get moon-eyed over him like others he had known. He smiled, he may be wrong about that last part. Oh, he was sure she would be in his bed; she had kissed him back after all. There was something there, something untapped in her. He wasn’t sure about her being moon-eyed though, she really seemed to not like him very much.
He smiled, thinking about the kiss once more. She was a giver, just like him, he could tell that. It would be something good when it happened, and it would. She had a boyfriend, or so she said. He would figure that out first. After the situation with Angie, he didn’t want to mess up her life if she had something good going. But then she could have made the whole boyfriend thing up. All he did know is that she had been avoiding him for a week. Soon, he would know. Even now his hands
itched to run over the perfect roundness of her hips, and pull her into him and bury himself deep inside her. She was more than some meek and mild model, and far more delightful than a viper like the one he had left behind.
He made his way down to the living room, and found his mother there, laughing lightly with Jeannie.
“Oh Raymond, I was just telling Miss Jeannie here about the time we all went camping and you fell into the lake.” She fell into a fit of laughter.
He couldn’t help but join, “I don’t remember it being quite that funny, mom. I had an awful cold for weeks after that.” He laughed with her and smiled when he heard his mother’s buzzer going off once more. He waited, knowing she would be there soon.
She carefully avoided his gaze when she entered the room, her hair piled up high on her head. He wanted to pull it down and spread it around them like a blanket when he made love to her. She flicked her eyes his way for a brief second before turning away once more. Yes, he had definitely had an effect on her. Once she was finished, she sat down with his mother and he watched the way she took care of her. He felt something different stir inside him, something he quickly tamped back down. No, no way would he get emotionally invested. He couldn’t help but smile as his mother told another story, something she loved to do.
As the afternoon went on he watched her laugh and relax, something he had yet to see her do. She was careful to keep her distance from him, only confirming that she had felt it just as much as he had that day in the garden. Only once did he notice anything afoot. At some point her phone rang and she had left to take the call, coming back her face ashen and tight. He knew something was wrong, he would find out later.
“I am feeling tired Lila, be a dear and help me to my room. I think I’ll take a nap.” She gave her a smile and a pat on her hand.
